


Awakening

by dledee



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Family, Gen, Vampire Turning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-18
Updated: 2013-03-18
Packaged: 2017-12-05 18:19:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dledee/pseuds/dledee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The light was fading away from her eyes, her being soon to follow to where her siblings had gone before. No way out. After all, there is not way to escape death when your time as come. But accepting another tragedy is not part of Pearl's plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Awakening

      Her arms felt heavy as they fell besides her. There was no strength able to bring them up. That strength was all being used in keeping her eyes opened and so barely working on that. She was so tired. The shadow or her mother hovered with words that were hard to understand. And then something was on her mouth, a metallic taste she was unable to refuse. She didn’t even have the strength to think about it. Everything was too painful. Everything was just so clouded. And then her eyes closed and it was as if it were the end. The end of a painful struggle against the sickness that had taken her siblings. It was quiet. The pain was no more. It was almost… Good. Just…  _Almost_.

     The next few memories are bundled up in a web of confusion. Half awake periods where someone makes her drink more of the weird liquid, half asleep periods where nightmares try to come in to be met with with a black wall of nothingness. Flurries of consciousness and unconsciousness. Dreams not meant to be and a reality not meant to wake up in. Like a never ending dream incubated in a reality that would not start.

     But the light came. The morning. And, even more surprising, her eyes managed to open so as to wonder what had happened. Eyelids that felt so heavy the night before were now light as a plume. Tentatively, slowly, she managed to move her head towards her arm. Bitting down her lip as a subconscious reaction. A fear through all of her that this wouldn’t work. That it was as in one of those tales that people managed to remain conscious just long enough to say all their goodbyes. But her hand rose. Effortless. As if she had never been sick. She couldn’t help a smile from ear to ear. The biggest smile ever just because she could move. There had been some kind of miracle and she was alive. Wasn’t that the greatest gift ever?

     Yet the happiness was short lived. The rising hand caught on a thread of sunlight coming and it burned as if a hot iron had touched her skin, her hand immediately retreating back to it’s owner while fear and confusion rushed through her in equal measures. It was only sunlight. Why was this happening? It wasn’t supposed to… She needed some sort of… And suddenly her mother was there hugging her. Called here by the girl’s gasp of pain. “Shh, it’s okay Annabelle. It’s okay. You’re okay now, I promise.” The mere sight of her mother and her arms around her made the girl break into tears. She didn’t understand. She had been dying and now the sunlight… She quickly let go of her mother to look at her hand. To show what happened so the other woman could provide one explanation. But there was nothing there. Had it been a dream? Something that she was seeing because of the sickness that was still creeping up in her body and just about to kill her? “I thought…” her pleading eyes met with her mother’s. She had a reply, right? She had to have a reply. She was her mother. That’s what she always did. She gave her the replies. 

     Zhen Zhu, the vampire who would come to be known as Pearl but now was just her mother couldn’t hold back slight tears that prickled her eyes “I couldn’t let you die. You’re my everything, Annabelle. I had to do whatever it took.” The words were ominous and made her ask more questions than they answered. Exactly what had happened? “Here, you need to be stronger.” Her mother now grabbed for a cup of red liquid that Annabelle hadn’t noticed before. The weird liquid that was starting to look more appetizing with each second that ticked by. What was it exactly? Why did she feel such a need to drink it? Her eyebrow arched in an unspoken question to her mother. “Just drink. Please.” Annabelle had no reason not to trust her mother. And it was looking good. Like something she should be drinking. Her no longer fragile hands grabbed the cup carefully, as if not to spill it’s precious contents. And she drank it. It was lukewarm as it went down her throat, liquid that didn’t felt like it was meant to be drunk but that tasted as the best thing she had ever had in her life. It tasted like… life. 

     Her inquiring eyes rose to her mother after she was done with it in one go. After body seemed to be coming to life again. To light itself up and rise from whichever shadows the sickness had made it be in. And, even if she did not understand, it was a welcomed change from the feeling of the night before. Anything was better than not having the ability to move your own body the way you want to, the way you need to. But her mother still didn’t reply. Her mother still kept downcast eyes as she seemed to search for the better way to explain what was happening. And Annabelle stood waiting. She knew better than to rush her. Knew that patience was to be a virtue, that her mother had no reason not to say what had happened and that a repeated question would never help.

     Finally some words started out. “Annabelle… Things will change a little now…” The young girl still didn’t understand. Change? Was that the price to pay for life? Still silent. Still awaiting. “It’s not as bad as it may sound. Not as scary. We’ll be together and that’s what matters, isn’t it?” Now it was her mother’s turn to beg for something with her eyes. Annabelle tried to read it but… Forgiveness? Why was she asking for forgiveness? “No matter how scary it gets, I won’t ever let you be alone. That’s a promise.” Annabelle nodded at her mother’s promise. She still wasn’t sure what had happened or how or even why she was making such promises but she would happily take it. Trusting. Whatever was going on, her mother would be right there with her. She couldn’t even dream to ask for more, could she? “Okay.” The little word softly left her lips and she could feel her mother’s shoulders relaxing. She could hear the breath the woman had been holding in leaving her. It was weird maybe, but… She couldn’t claim it an unwelcome change after the clouds from the night before. So, she would take it and trust and live.


End file.
